


Under Wing

by Terias



Series: Birds of a Feather [3]
Category: Natsume Yuujinchou | Natsume's Book of Friends, 魔法使いの嫁 | Mahou Tsukai no Yome | The Ancient Magus Bride
Genre: Gen, Matoba Seiji is creepy af, Parents aren't stupid, supporting cast
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-01
Updated: 2018-01-01
Packaged: 2019-02-26 07:08:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13230564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Terias/pseuds/Terias
Summary: There are many people of the older generation  who quietly support their town's newest eclectic and unusual children.These are their perspectives.





	Under Wing

**Author's Note:**

> Kitamoto Keiji believes only what he can see. And he can plainly see a child who's often left undernourished and unrested. It isn't until after the child is settled into his home that he realizes that the true culprit is one that no one but her can see. Sleep doesn't come easy to one who hears and sees demons howling. Appetite becomes lost when one's will to survive fades. Who would want to live in a world where creatures that no one believes exists attack you? Who would want to live with people who blame you when scary things happen?
> 
> Or
> 
> Kitamoto Keiji saw proof that there are beings in this world that most of humanity are unaware of and took action to remedy the ill effects on his foster child.

Exiting the bus, Kitamoto Keiji sees the back of black robes with a brown origojyou around the shoulders and a bald head indicating a Buddhist monk. “Ah, sorry for the wait. I truly appreciate that you’ve made yourself available when you’re usually so busy.”

Priest Tanuma turns and raises a hand, smiling in the late afternoon sun. “It’s no trouble. You were a bit sparse with the details though.” He is holding a string of beads in his other hand fingers smoothly passing over each one.

“This way.” Keiji leads them from the bus stop down the hill towards the apartment complex a few blocks away. He wipes his forehead with his already sweaty arm. Summer was certainly going to brutal. “Well, as I said before the girl we’re fostering has had many troubles in the past. We only discovered that she was being haunted when she was suddenly attacked one night and ran off into the forest.”

“The forest?” The monk’s eyes show no surprise behind his glasses. Keiji wonders if the calm man has ever been surprised in his life.

“Yes. My son and daughter fetched her from there. She apparently had been sitting in a clearing, so whatever was chasing her must have stopped. My son thought it might have been the master of the forest.” Keiji laughs a bit uncomfortably. “ I don’t know whether my son is right or not, but there’s no sign of anything amiss with Hatori-chan. We can only assume that she avoided personal harm since she hasn’t taken ill.” He adjusts his grip on his hard suitcase. “We fixed most of the damage we could see. However, we thought it would help prevent further attacks if you could come to purify the place.”

“Ah.” Tanuma smiles as they continue past several houses with children playing here and there, their cheerful sounds washing between the cries of cicadas. “From what you’ve told me, I’m afraid you’ll need more than purification. You’ll also want a warding performed, since that will prevent intrusion from the spiritual planes, be it ghosts or demons.”

“I see.”

“I had some foresight into this matter, so I did bring the necessary items.”

Glancing at him, Keiji tries to smother his envy at the monk’s calm. Priest Tanuma likely had only reached that state through strict practices and meditation, which Keiji knows he has no patience for. “Oh, that’s good! None of us really understand what is needed to remedy the situation, so your expertise is greatly appreciated.”

Soon they come around the bend to the Yatsuhara Grand Court apartment complex. Keiji can see from this distance that there is a pile of something outside of his home, and a curious frown travels onto his face furrowing his brow. As they step from the drive onto the parking lot, everything seems normal and still. But, now that they are closer Keiji sees that the pile is an assortment of squash and—are those satsumas??—random fruit lying innocently under his kitchen window. He trots over to the stack and bends over to pick a satsuma up. These are far off from being in season… and why would someone even leave expensive perishable imports here for the taking? He leans down and picks up a fresh mango with his other hand. Some of these weren’t even _native_ to Japan let alone to the season. What is going on?

Having stopped in the center of the parking lot, Priest Tanuma clears his throat and raises his voice to carry across the asphalt pavement. “Excuse me, friends of the Yatsuhara Forest. I’m here to perform a purification ritual, so if you do not wish to be harmed, please vacate the premises.”

Putting the fruit down, Keiji looks at him in askance, but the glasses-wearing monk simply smiles. Not a moment later, an unearthly wind blasts the monk. Wave after wave of air swirls and eddies around him like a typhoon, disturbing his clothes. The shocks of a car creak ominously as if something jumped from the car, and then it stills. Priest Tanuma had tucked his hands in his sleeves, which flap strongly, and looks completely at ease in that environment. After a minute or so, the wind that Keiji barely feels standing as he is by his apartment finally dies down.

“That should do it, I believe,” Priest Tanuma says brightly, pulling out the rosary of beads once he removes his hands from his sleeves. “After you, Mr. Kitamoto.”

“Friends of the Yatsuhara Forest?” Keiji echoes as he gestures the monk towards the apartment door.

Priest Tanuma nods to the pile of out of season perishables. “They are the friendlier ayakashi that reside in the wilds of the forest. Most people know of the plight of those who may cross paths with them, but so few remember the bounties these spirits offer to the people they favor.” He meets Keiji’s eyes with an unperturbed look. “If this is an unusual occurrence, then perhaps your newest guest may have some understanding into the matter.”

“Ah. Perhaps.” Keiji knocks twice and opens the door. “I’m home!”

Mana looks up from cooking and smiles brightly. “Dad! Welcome back!”

Keiji slips off his shoes and loosens his tie with a deep breath. He looks around and sees that Atsushi is reading, probably a required text for one of his classes. “Where’s Hatori-chan?”

“Ah, I sent her off to Natsume’s place,” Atsushi answers. “Mom said it would probably be for the best, considering how rough she’s had it. I sent you a text about it.” Atsushi glances at the monk. “Supposedly it’s really foul here and that there’s a broken chain of some kind in the wall over there.” He jerks his head towards the new plaster patches on said wall.

“Hmm,” Priest Tanuma says to himself and surveys the area. “Well, I can go ahead and begin if that’s okay?”

“We don’t need to leave?” Mana asks, wiping her wet hands on her apron.

“No, though you may feel a tingle. I apologize in advance for any discomfort that may cause.” The monk raises his beads and begins murmuring, beginning at the entryway and directing his first chant towards the wall Atsushi had pointed to.

As soon as the monk passes, Keiji watches his oldest child snap a picture with his mobile phone of the patched wall but decides not to comment on it. He feels nothing all through the chanting, detailing exactly how little—that is, absolutely none—spiritual sense he might have.

“Mana, there’s a pile of squash and assorted fruits outside. They should be taken inside before they spoil in this heat,” Keiji says to his secondborn.

“What? There’s _more_?!” She rips open the door, and Atsushi is snapping a picture of the pile outside and furiously typing on his Blackberry.

“Quickly grab a bag and shut the door behind you! We’re not cooling the outdoors now.”

“I’ve got it Mana,” his firstborn says after retrieving several bunched up grocery bags and Mana returns to check on dinner after closing the door.

Taking a seat in the carpeted living room, Keiji finally pulls out his own phone and checks his messages. One from work that he can read later, knowing that it was about another missed deadline by one of the editors. One from his lovely wife saying that the Fujiwaras would take very good care of Hatori-chan for the night but that they needed to visit with the couple to discuss the foster girl’s future.

Mana leaves a glass of ice water for him on a coaster and he murmurs his thanks before taking a long sip, eyes on his phone.

Scrolling to the messages from his firstborn, he opens it. ‘ _Hatori-chan is going with my friend Natsume since she hasn’t slept at all since the attack. He says that the Fujiwaras have some protection in place to prevent this sort of thing.’_

The next one was longer. ‘ _Mom said that Chise-chan might do better in a home with sensitives rather than our place and that it may break Chise-chan’s heart even though living with them would be what’s best for her. Please talk to her before you two make such big decisions like this. She’s already so scared that we’re going to abandon her because it’s convenient.’_

Clicking to the final message, Keiji opens it. _‘Dad, before the attack, I caught her staring at you anxiously. Did you ever notice that? Now she looks at you differently, like with gladness instead. Have you noticed anything?’_ Keiji frowns, but nothing in particular comes to mind. The door opens and Atsushi is carrying in bags brimming with the bounty from outside. The door shuts soon after and Mana is looking through all of it, bouncing off recipe idea with her brother. Atsushi grins and offers his help to bake or cook since there’s so much.

Their interactions cause a smile on Keiji’s face. The two may have had their fair share of fights growing up but they were showing signs of maturity, unlike Keiji’s own brothers and sisters. “Or we could donate to the soup kitchen in Kumamoto… or there’s also that new food bank in Tokyo...”

“The… what?”

“Food bank?” Atsushi echoes, while Mana looks tangled up in the word.

“You haven’t heard of Second Harvest? That’s unsurprising. They changed their name a year ago, which was what brought my attention to them in the first place.” He crosses his arms as he leans back thoughtfully. “Food waste is a huge issue in our modern times that it’s a shame we hadn’t thought to redistribute until a few years ago. Food banks are bridges where what would normally be thrown away gets connected to the needy. Nothing expired, of course, but anything unsold and sitting around is fair game.”

“But all the way to Tokyo?” Atsushi prods the idea, knowing that his father hardly ever left to go anywhere other than for business trips.

“It would be fun to take some time off to visit instead of paying shipping fees. Maybe make a family trip out of it,” Keiji says cheerfully. He’s been curious about the food bank concept for a while and he knows that there haven’t been any books published in Japan on it yet.

“That’s half a day gone. And expensive,” Mana momentarily wrinkles her nose from behind the counter as she moves what was to be dinner from the pan to a large serving plate.

“We can fly to Fukuoka on our way back and go by train and bus to get home.” He taps his nose mischievously at his children. “Your mother and I have always wanted an excuse to take a short vacation. Neither of you have been there, right?”

Mana shook her head an obvious sign of exasperation by his gung-ho excitement, while Atsushi grins and says, “You must be feeling much better to be talking like this. Sure, I'd like to go. Sis?”

She rolls her eyes. “Yeah, yeah. As long as we can bring Chi-chan with us!”

“Certainly! Then," his lips break into a jovial smile, "I need only convince your mother to take time off.”

A clap from Priest Tanuma draws his attention from them. The chanting finally ceases. “That should do it,” the monk says brightly. He pulls slightly crumpled, folded paper with audacious calligraphy on it from the small pouch attached to his belt. “Now, I only ask that no one passes through any doorways as I do this.”

Atsushi is setting the table while Mana sets the serving plate in the center. His son’s eyes are alight with curiosity as the monk chants and slaps the miraculously straightening papers near the top of the walls and every doorway and window he comes across.

Keiji hopes his wife doesn’t mind the new décor. He remains  in the living room while his children take a seat at the table, and they wait patiently for the man to finish.

Mere moments later the monk reappears, looking a touch paler than before. He wipes the sweat from his face with a handkerchief and smiles. “That should do it, Mr. Kitamoto.”

“Thank you. I can’t do much more than humbly offer this and a free meal.” Standing, Keiji politely offers a small envelope containing a check to the monk who takes it graciously. They both head to the table.

“It’s vegetable stir fry and rice. I didn’t know if you had dietary restrictions,” Mana says. She looks hopeful that she guessed right.

“That sounds delicious. I will be glad to join you.” They sit and share in the spread of prepared food. After their quiet thanks, Priest Tanuma says, “I don’t partake of meat, though because of my son’s weak constitution I do prepare it frequently for him.” He smiles at Mana. She grins back.

“Can you see spirits?” Atsushi’s question is blunt but not outright rude.

“Unfortunately not. However, I was assured that my ability to purify has a powerful effect and that I shouldn’t wield it carelessly lest I disturb the balance and call unnecessary grudges upon myself and others around me.” The monk has eaten only a small prescribed amount, but not enough to make Keiji worried. “Truly, I was curious about the foster child who was being haunted. I guess that she would have been bothered by my purification ceremony.” The monk sips tea now happily waiting for his hosts to finish their meal.

“Chi-chan is very sensitive,” Mana agrees right away. “Did you see the fan she made?” She points to the object on the wall.

Keiji starts because his eyes had kept sliding away from it until then. It had the same sort of aura to it that the finest fanmakers evoked with their skill. It was beautiful in ways that only the finest printed silks matched.

“How long has that been there?” Atsushi sounds a bit breathless himself, while his sister is left blinking between the both of them. Priest Tanuma continues drinking his tea, eyeing the fan with an air of mystery.

“The second day she went to school she came back with it! It was so gorgeous that I couldn’t leave it in a dark place somewhere.”

“Does she create much often?” The monk take another sip after he airs his question.

“…No. She says she prefers to read.”

“That’s probably a wise choice, considering that item might be best housed so as not to attract ayakashi. I can tell it is imbued with a great amount of inner light.” He takes another sip. “I may not be able to see, but I can feel it radiating warm energy even though more than a meter separates us.”

“Would it be best to pass the fan to your safekeeping?” Keiji asks succinctly, staying his daughter’s refusal with a raise of his hand.

“Yes, but I would need to return with a proper container for it. Something of that magnitude could not be placed in a borrowed one without outside notice.”

“Outside notice?” His firstborn looks slightly alarmed.

“There are humans who would use such things to augment their natural ability, be it creative or destructive in nature. Particularly, this sort of item would be highly sought by exorcists as it would greatly enhance their skills.” Tanuma sets his cup down in a grave manner. “Humans are greedy by nature. If they were to find out someone still living were able to craft this… such a child would likely be abducted for their own aims.”

Despite this dark prediction, Keiji’s children have the appearance of the strength and determination that they inherited from their mother, unlike Keiji who can barely hear himself think over the thumping of his heart.

“What do we do?” Mana asks, her voice demanding an answer this instant.

The monk remains calm and steady as an undisturbed lake, giving no indication of his feelings running beneath the surface. “If a suitable family cannot be found, she may need to seek refuge at a temple or shrine. It’s hardly a solution, so preferably a family placement would obviously be best.”

Keiji opens his mouth without thinking, running on adrenaline as he is. “The Fujiwaras may be her best option then.” It was a nervous habit of his, which is why he often forces himself to stay silent during important meetings dealing with negotiations between his company and VIP clients.

“Dad, more detail would be great,” Mana says with a frown and crossed arms.

“Well, you know Mr. Fujiwara as a scholar and researcher, who has published a book or two about Japanese folklore. He’s… ah… the last of an old clan which delved in these kinds of matters.”

Atsushi’s green pea pod slips from his chopsticks. “What?”

His secondborn, on the other hand, has the rapt eyes of a hawk, slightly narrowed at him. Keiji takes a deep breath. “Sixty years ago, the Fujiwaras were still the local mediators of such things. However, now the Matoba clan has graciously taken over their responsibilities since no heirs were born as strong as Mr. Fujiwara’s grandfather.”

Keiji watches as something grows steely in Atsushi’s gaze and grows somewhat concerned. Before he can ask, Priest Tanuma slurps his tea, bringing attention back to himself, and smiles. “Now, that sounds like a good placement should your foster child accept.” He stands and bows slightly. “Thank you very much for such a filling meal, but I must hasten on to my next commitment.”

The remaining three quickly stand with him.

“No, no, it’s quite alright. We understand how busy you are,” Keiji answers as Atsushi heads to the door and opens it for Priest Tanuma.

The smiling monk nods answering their goodbyes and exits without another word. Another unearthly wind seems to push him across the parking lot, but it may have only been Keiji’s imagination.

* * *

The following weekday, not long after noon, there's a knock at the door.

Keiji frowns, setting aside the tablet displaying the final proofread he was perusing. Sadly, his best copy editor had missed numerous errors of a factual matter, but Keiji’s very nearly done. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the only proof he had to okay before it was sent to the printers, and this one would definitely have to be emailed back to the copyeditor for fixes. He had come home early _precisely_ so he wouldn’t be interrupted by frantic editorial staff. Hoping no one had followed him home, his joints pop as he stands, and he takes a moment to stretch his back. "I'll be there in a moment!" He glances at the clock and notes that time has quickly flown by, disagreeable to his tight schedule.  
  
He glances around in case something is too out of place, but the damaged floor and door have been replaced and the plaster on the wall has been painted over. Opening the door, he's greeted by the sight of a young man as tall as him wearing an entirely black, expensively tailored suit. One eye is covered by a white piece of cloth, a strange symbol written on it. Long black hair is neatly bound at the back and rests at the young man’s shins. "Yes?"  
  
"Is Hatori Chise home?" His uncovered eye looks past him, and Keiji glances back realizing that the fan is still on display since Priest Tanuma would not be able to retrieve it until tomorrow. He steps forward to close the door protectively on the object.  
  
Normally Hatori-chan would be back from school since she has no extracurriculars besides the optional attendance to her book club. However, Keiji and his wife Noriko had spoken of a temporary living arrangement via phone with the Fujiwaras while repairs and warding were being done on their apartment. Now, it certainly cemented in Keiji’s mind that it would have to be a more permanent arrangement, if Priest Tanuma's suppositions turned out accurate.  
  
The dark eye travels with interest over Keiji's exposed forearms and the area where his shirt was unbuttoned without speaking. This behavior in particular gives him the creeps. Trusting his gut, Keiji isn’t about to tell him what he wants. "I'm sorry, I believe you have the wrong address." He gestures toward the nameplate. "If that's all. Good day."  
  
A slender hand catches the door and that uncovered dark eye stares at him unnervingly. "I apologize for not being forthright. My name is Matoba Seiji. I have heard that Hatori Chise was being haunted. As the head of the Matoba clan of exorcists, it is my duty to eliminate any such despicable things from terrorizing people."

“Well, in that case Mr. Exorcist, the situation is already taken care of. Hatori Chise is no longer at this residence. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to work.”

“Of course,” Matoba steps back, releasing the door. “How long were you sick for?”

Keiji stops midway through closing the door, hand on the handle. He pulls it open again. “Excuse me?”

“You were stricken with general malaise and extreme fatigue give or take a year, and only a few days ago the illness lifted.” The smile is sharp and dangerous, and the eye narrows with malice. “An interesting coincidence that happened right after the girl was violently attacked by a demon, no? It may no longer be bothering you, but surely a powerful one like that will be intent to possess her…”

Uneasiness giving way to anger, Keiji slams the door on the man. It’s his first time meeting someone of the Matobas and yet they are not like the mayor described to him before. Too much cool calculation from such a young face. Then again, the only exorcist he met previously was Old Man Fujiwara who was always carrying his flute with a gentle expression.

Rubbing the bridge of his nose with an annoyed sigh, he goes to his desk and pulls out the fancy, slender gift box someone had given to him in regards to his promotion a couple years ago. Taking the pen out and setting it inside the drawer, he empties the box of foam and easily crosses the room to pull the fan off the wall to put it into the box.

After replenishing his cup of tea, he sits back down keeping the box close by as he attempts to continue his work. With a frown, Keiji pulls out his phone and sends texts out to several people about Matoba’s visit, warning them of the man’s desire to meet Hatori-chan.

Then he pulls out the slightly creased and yellowed business card Atsushi had given him. Dialing the number, he’s very surprised when the celebrity answers after the first ring.

“Yes?” A rich voice of a young man in his twenties answers tiredly.

“Ah, hello, I’m told you take care of problems of a spiritual nature?”

“That’s right.”

“My name is Kitamoto Keiji, and I want you to exorcise the demon chasing my foster daughter around. She’s suffered greatly from this, and I know it’s likely not the first time such things have been drawn to her based on the accounts from her many previous foster parents.” Keiji knows he sounds insane, his mouth is dry and his heart is in his throat. “I will pay for this demon’s destruction and whatever price is needed to keep her from being attacked again.”

“Well, Mr. Kitamoto, those would be two separate contracts. How about I take care of the more immediate problem first, and then we’ll negotiate the second. Now, can you tell me a bit about your foster child or her daily routine? Demons prefer to attack at night, but they prefer to avoid confrontation with stronger spirits if corruption hasn’t completely degraded them to raving fiends.”

“Her name is Hatori Chise, aged 11, and she’s currently residing at the Fujiwara Residence at the edge of Yatsuhara Forest. The full address is—”

“I know where that is. Do you live in the same town?”

“Ah, yes.” Of course the exorcist would know about the Fujiwaras, considering that they too used to be a part of the community.

“What about school?”

“She attends the local elementary school here, but rarely stays after lessons. She has bright crimson hair and green eyes, so she’s not hard to miss.” There was a long pause that made Keiji nervous that he lost his signal. “Hello? Mr. Natori?”

“I see. That information will certainly help in the hunt for the demon. Luckily, I have a few days open this weekend so I can start right away.”

“I deeply appreciate that you would prioritize my request,” Keiji says, his tone coloring with bone-deep relief. “My wife and children were fretting terribly over this matter since none of us have any type of spiritual sense. It was the first time I ever had to call on a monk to purify and ward my living space.”

“Your home was damaged?”

“Oh, yes. Scorch marks, scaped door, scratched up flooring, punctured and buckled drywall. It was terrifying.”

“That would be.” The young man’s tone pitches up a bit. “I’m glad you’ve chosen me for this task. I’ll deal with it properly.”

“Ah, there’s one last thing I should mention,” Keiji states hesitantly.

“Oh?”

The exorcist sounds patiently amused.

Keiji exhales. “I had someone claiming to be from the head of the Matoba clan personally visit my apartment not a half hour ago asking about Hatori-chan.”

There was another pause. “Can you describe him?”

“The longest hair I’ve ever seen on a man, with an eyepatch marked with a symbol I couldn’t read. Mid-twenties, I believe.” Keiji breathes uneasily. “I do not trust him.”

“I see. Would you prefer that I email communiques or do you prefer verbal updates?”

“Email. I’ll text you my address.”

“Good. Now, normally I charge an initial downpayment, but I’ll waive the requirement. I trust that you won’t skip out on payment.”

“Of course not! And there’s really no need to waive—” Keiji hears a loud phone ringing over the line, which stops his line of thought.

“Ah, sorry. I must answer this call. I’ll contact you when I’m in town. I thank you for your patronage.”

The line is dead in Keiji’s hands, and he wonders if he really made the right choice, pulling another exorcist into this matter. Leaning on his elbows, he lays the phone on the table while his other hand massages his temple. This is far too much excitement for his nerves. Before he loses the rest of his courage, he lets his wife and children know through text that the celebrity/covert exorcist had been employed to make sure the demon was gone for good.

Pushing his phone aside and placing a hand on the box containing the fan, Keiji forces his mind back on work and the numerous final drafts he had to approve before next week.


End file.
